hould forbid wheels.

After long hesitation Ike decided that he ought not to join the party.

"That there Crawley," he argued to himself, "aint to be trusted,
especially when he's goin' round lookin' like a blank hyena. But I
guess I'll have to let him go and git back to the ranch." And so with
an uneasy feeling Ike watched them set off.

Half-way back to the ranch he met his boss.

"Hello, Ike," saluted The Kid gaily. "You're needing a powder. Off your
feed, eh?"

"Howdy, boss," replied the cowboy gravely.

"I'm feelin' proper enough, but there's others not so frisky."

"What's up, Ike? Your grandmother poorly?"

"Well, do you know," said Ike, watching The Kid keenly with his half
shut eyes, "there's been a great mix-up at The Lake there. A breed,
half dead with the saddle, came from the Old Prospector askin' for the
preacher. Guess the old chap's about quittin' the trail."

The Kid's hand tightened on the reins.

"Hit him there, I reckon," grunted Ike to himself, but the other paid
no attention. "So," continued Ike, "they've all gone off."

"Who?"

"Why the hull town, seemingly. There's the preacher, and the doctor,
and that there Crawley, with Carroll's wagon outfit. They looked a
little like a circus, except that there want any wild animals. Unless
you'd count Crawley for a monkey, which would be rather hard on the
monkey, I guess."

Ike chuckled, a rare chuckle that seemed to begin a long way below his
diaphragm and work slowly up to his lips.

"What the deuce are you talking about?" enquired The Kid. "What has
Crawley got to do with this?"

"Why," said Ike in a surprised tone, "dunno, onless he's a friend of
the old man's. They do have a lot of business together seemingly. Or
perhaps as company for the gel."

"The girl! Steady there, Swallow," to his mare, for Swallow had given a
sudden spring. "What girl?" demanded The Kid. "Why don't you talk
sense? You didn't say anything about a girl."

"Why, didn't I mention about that gel? Well, I'm gettin' forgetful.
Why, what gel do you think? They aint growin' on rose bushes or old
willows round here, so far as I've seen. Now, how many gels have you
observed in your pilgrimages round that town?"

"Oh, blank you for an idiot!" said The Kid wrathfully. "Do you mean
that the--Miss Mowbray has gone off with the rest?" In spite of his
splendid self-control, as The Kid spoke the name a red flush on his
face could be suddenly seen through the brown tan.